Machine for making artificial foliage.



G. G. FOOKE. MACHINE FOR MAKING ARTIFICIAL FOLIAGE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.9,1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

WL D

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORG GUSTAV FOCKE, OF DRESDEN, GERMANY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING ARTIFICIAL FOLIAGE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Grzono Gus'mv Focun, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony, Germany, have invented a new and useful Machine for Making Artificial Foliage, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for making artificial foliage by gluing wires to the blanks of artificial leaves and stamping said blanks by means of two consecutively operated dies, and automatically feeding of the wire and the leaves.

Machines of that kind hitherto existing, have the drawback that each leaf has to be introduced singly by hand into a die-mold, and that consequently the economy of labor which it was intended to effect by mechanically putting on the wire stalk, and effecting the stamping, was very slight.

The novelty of the present invention is based on the arrangement of two dies working side by side, one of which is used for gluing the wire stems to the blanks for the leaves which are pressed upward in a feed device as will be hereinafter described, while the other die merely has to do the stamping.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine, the wire cut-off device being not shown in this figure for the sake of clearness. Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in vertical section showing the feed-lever in position clear of the wire, Fig. 4 is a vertical, transverse section partly in elevation of the wire-feeding mechanism, Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in vertical section showing the feedlever in position for feeding the wire, and Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a vertical, longitudinal section partly in side elevation, and a rear elevation of the wire-cutting device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several fig-v and the same shaft W, are arranged on a frame. The wire D wound on a reel R, is introduced into the machine and conveyed through the latter, by means of any desired feed device V such as, for instance, is mostly used in wire cutting machines, and is reciprocated by an adjustable crank K of the driving shaft W. The crank K is slotted and connected by a connecting-rod with the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 9, 1911.

Serial No. 601,698.

lower end of a fulcrumed lever V, the upper end of which is provided with a tapering jaw. This jaw acts on a rectilinear-lyguided slide-block V which is located be low the jaw and to which the lever V is fulcrumed. A forward shifting motion is imparted to the lever-carrying block by the rotation of the crank K, while the edge of the jaw presses on the wire D and clamps it lightly to the block. The further movement of the crank K toward the right carries the slidc-block forward together with the wire clamped thereto. The return-motion of the crank K opens first the jaw of the lever V for releasing the wire and returns then the slide-block along the released wire into its former position so as to feed the wire again forward by the next motion of the crank toward the right. This wire after having been provided with a layer of glue from a glue vessel L passes under the die S which at each descent presses the glue-covered wire against the blank of a loose leaf arranged in a guide-casing F having approximately the shape of the leaves. During the upward movement of the die, the wire is raised a little, whereby the blank glued on, is lifted out of the casing F. The feed device then pushes the wire, together with the blank, forward to such an extent that the blank which is of course guided in a suitable manner passes into the stamping mold. The stamping die S on descending then presses the leaf into the desired shape. When the die S is again raised, it also lifts the properly stamped leaf from the mold, so that the said leaf, owing to the next advance of the wire, passes beyond the mold, in order to clear the stamping die for the next leaf which has been in the meantime glued on by the die S. The machine can also cut the wire into stems of any desired lengths by means of a cutting device M arranged in alinement with the die S and driven by means of a suitable cam E and lever E also from the shaft W.

The guide-casing F, as already stated, has approximately the shape of the blanks, and is mounted under the stamp S in an easily detachable manner for filling it with the blanks. The blanks are introduced from below, and are pressed upwardly by means of a follower P controlled by means of counter-balancing weights or springs. In order to prevent the blanks from coming out at the top, there are arranged at the in- Patented May 14, 1912.

side of the casing near its upper edge tWo inwardly projecting studs A diametrically opposite to each other. These lugs are made so short that the blank on being raised by the glue-covered Wire, assumes a bent or arched shape so that it can easily be moved out from under the projecting lugs.

The machine is therefore completely automatic in its Working.

I claim:

1. A machine for making artificial foliage, comprising a reel for the Wire, a Wirefeed device, a guidebox for the blanks, a glue-feeding device above the Wire, a die for attaching the glue-covered Wire to the blank, and a second die for stamping the blank. into a leaf.

2. A machine for making artificial. foliage, which comprises a feed-box for the blanks having inwardly projecting lugs at its upper end, a vertically reciprocating die above said feed-box, a Wire-reel, means for intermittently feeding the Wire to and over the blank, a glue-feeding device, and a second vertically-reciprocating die for pressing the blank into a leaf.

3. A machine for making artificial foliage, comprising a reel for the Wire, a Wirefeed device, a guide box for the blanks, a glue-feeding device above the Wire, a die for attaching the glue-covered Wire to the blank, a second die for stamping the blank into a leaf, and an intermittently actuated cut ting device for cutting off the Wire on the leaves so as to form stems for the same.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

GEORG GUSTAV FOCKE.

Witnesses:

MAX ERDMANN, CHARLES NEUER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

